3 Social Media Tips from NFL Teams

Are you ready for some football…tweets? Tomorrow night, the NFL kicks off another season on the field and in our feeds. As with any brand, we’ve seen the league and many individual teams embrace social media to increase fan engagement and interact with their loyal supporters on a whole new level.

As this article from NewsWhip pointed out, “NFL teams all already have a steady stream of content going without having to create entirely new content for social channels. Their product is content!” The question is, which is the best at adapting that content for social media and what can we learn from them? Read on to learn about a few teams that are scoring touchdowns on social.

Dallas Cowboys
Network: Twitter
Followers: 1.88M

Winning Play: Head to the Dallas Cowboys’ Twitter page to find the latest team news, lively chats, and some impressive emoji use. Their content relays important game information and team updates through a mix of engaging multimedia creative and clever, retweet-worthy copy. They certainly know how to give the fans what they want when it comes to the Twitter game.
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of content. Testing a variety will help you determine what works best with your audience — and remember, just because a piece of content doesn’t work on one network, doesn’t mean it won’t work on another.

New England Patriots
Network: Reddit
Followers: 41,789

Winning Play: Though it is not the most popular, Reddit is certainly an active social network. The Patriots have a strong social media presence across the board, but their Reddit page really shows off their unique voice and innovation. In addition to presenting creative topics for followers to take and run with, they regularly invite players to engage with fans by hosting tell-all discussions known as Ask Me Anythings.
Pro Tip: Engage your community. Consumers no longer want to simply be “sold” on a product or service, they are looking to form a relationship with the company that is providing that product or service. Use social media content to find out what they like, what they don’t, and how to become a better company in the future.

Seattle Seahawks
Network: Instagram
Followers: 32K

Winning Play: In the case of the Seattle Seahawks, their official Instagram page isn’t necessarily the one to cheer the loudest for — it is one of their secondary pages simply called, “12s” (a nod to their “12th Man”) that really catches the eye. Here the organization curates hundreds of fan photos embracing the tradition. Not only are these images highly engaging, but they inspire other fans to share photos with their communities to let them know who their favorite team is.
Pro Tip: Let your customers speak for you. By embracing and encouraging user-generated content, you will increase engagement, reach, and brand affinity.

The tickets are sold, the end-zones are painted, and we’re ready for kickoff — let’s see what the new season will bring to the stadiums and the social channels.